Binghamton Mets 2014 Game Notes

Binghamton Mets vs.

Richmond Flying Squirrels

(Double-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)

Eastern League Championship Series - Game 1 - Series Tied 0-0

RHP Tyler Pill (0-0, 7.94) vs. RHP Clayton Blackburn (0-0, ---)

uTuesday, September 9, 2014 • Postseason Game #6 • Postseason Road Game #4

The Diamond • Richmond, VA • 6:35 PM

LAST GAME: The Binghamton Mets used big inning for the second straight game to top the Portland Sea Dogs, 8-5, and take Game 5 of the Eastern Division Championship Series, on Sundayafternoon at Hadlock Field. The B-Mets scored six runs in the fourth inning and held on the rest of the game for the victory. Darrell Ceciliani went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI. Brandon Nimmo managed a 3-for-5 performance with a double and scored twice. Travis Taijeron and Wilfredo Tovar also managed multi-hit games. Gabriel Ynoa struck out eight in 5.2 innings. Cody Satterwhite tossed a scoreless ninth for his first save of the postseason. Binghamton completed its second 2-1 series comeback in franchise history.

BINGHAMTON STARTER: RHP Tyler Pill takes the ball for the 24^th time this season and the second time in the playoffs. The righty didn’t factor into the decision in Game 1 of the EDCS against Portland. He allowed five runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. Pill has dominated Richmond in 2014. In two previous performances, he’s tossed 15 scoreless innings and has struck out 17. The Flying Squirrels are hitting just .170 off of him this season. Pill was taken by the Mets in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of Cal State-Fullerton.

RICHMOND STARTER: RHP Clayton Blackburn is on the hill for the 19^th time this season and his first of the playoffs. The righty made his final start of the regular season  against the B-Mets. He tossed six innings and allowed just two runs on three hits on September 1 at The Diamond. The Flying Squirrels won the game, 12-4. It was the third time in his last four games that Blackburn has held an opponent to two runs or less. That includes two shutouts. The 21-year-old was taken by San Francisco in the 16^th round of the 2011 draft out of Edmond Santa Fe High School in Edmund, Oklahoma.

COMEBACK COMPLETE: After trailing 2-1 in the series, Binghamton beat Portland in the final two matchups to advance to the ELCS. The B-Mets were held to three runs on 12 hits in Games 2 and 3, but scored 19 runs on 26 base knocks in Games 4 and 5. Binghamton smacked eight doubles in the final two victories. That includes five in Game 5. It was the second 2-1 series deficit Binghamton had come back from in series history.

CECILIANI’S SIZZLING SERIES: Binghamton OF Darrell Ceciliani went 7-for-18 (.389) with six doubles, three runs scored and seven RBI in the EDCS against Portland. This comes after Ceciliani finished the offseason hitting .353 from August 1 on. He tallied 30 hits in the final 23 games of the regular season.

A SQUIRRELY SWEEP: Binghamton and Richmond have matched up in three series this season, with Binghamton sweeping two and Richmond sweeping the other. The B-Mets scored more than eight runs-per-game in the first two sweeps. However, the team managed just 11 in a four-game set to wrap up the regular season.

WHAT A RELIEF:  Binghamton reliever Hansel Robles came up big in the EDCS against Portland. The righty bridged the gap in two wins. He tossed a total of 4.2 scoreless innings and struck out four batters. Since transitioning to the bullpen on July 19, Robles has 34 strikeouts in 26 innings (14  appearances).

B-METS IN ELCS: The B-Mets are in the ELCS for the third time in franchise history and the first since 1994. They have never lost a championship series, beating the Canton-Akron Indians in 1992 and the Harrisburg Senators in 1994.